Re: [Harp-L] Out of the box vs customising

[Garry Hodgson <garry@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Haka Harri" <harri.haka@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

> My question as an amateur is how much better can the tone, volume 
> and control get after a redo. I have been happy with out of the box, eg Marine Bands.

i'm also an amateur.  after a little bit of online research (harmonicasessions.com 
and overblow.com mostly), and a little bit of experimenting, i've managed to get
all of my harps to be much more responsive and easier to play.  

i don't do much to them, mostly arcing, gapping, and (lately) embossing.  i also 
open the backs up on special 20's and hering 1923's.  don't know if it makes any
difference, but it looks cool.

my tools consist of a set of eyeglass screwdrivers, toothpicks, a broken popsicle
stick, a socket for embossing, and a feeler guage set.  i also open the backs up
on special 20's.  don't know if it makes a difference, but it looks cool.

the harps i use are already airtight.  i don't do wood, so sealing is not an issue.
retuning reeds is beyond my comprehension, let alone my ability.  the only times
i've gotten in trouble was from overembossing.  need to go lightly with that, as 
recovering is a pain.

what you might try is to tinker with an old harp, one that doesn't play so well
anymore.  adjust the gaps, maybe arc the reeds.  see if you can bring it back
to life.  if you don't like the result, and are happy with off the rack, fine.  you've
answered your own question.  if your results are good, you've given yourself
an option when one of your harps gets cranky.  as you get better at it, you'll
find that often one hole, or one bend, on some harp feels slow or hard to hit 
right.  pop the cover off, tweak a little, and you're good to go.  it's very rewarding.

> Don't know for sure but I believe a good part of classic harp has been 
> performed with instruments out of the box (if even that).

a lot of great literature has been written using typewriters or quill pens.
doesn't mean that's the best approach.

----
Garry Hodgson, Senior Software Geek, AT&T CSO

nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something.
do something.